Jakub Kiwior completes medical ahead of £21m Arsenal move

Jakub Kiwior has completed his medical in London and will seal his £21m move to Arsenal from Spezia in the next 24 hours, according to various reports.

Mikel Arteta has made no secret of his desire to strengthen his squad this month. The Spaniard knows he needs to add more depth to his ranks if Arsenal are to maintain their Premier League title charge during the second half of the season.

The Gunners wrapped-up a deal to sign Belgian attacker Leandro Trossard last week and he made an encouraging late cameo appearance during the thrilling 3-2 victory over Manchester United on Sunday.

However, Arteta wants to bring in at least one more player this month and he’s been on the hunt for a left-footed centre-back to add competition for Gabriel – who’s been virtually ever present this season.

Kiwior emerged as a prime target last last week when reports claimed that Arsenal were in advanced talks with Spezia to sign the highly-rated Polish international.

Negotiations moved quickly and the 22-year-old was given permission to travel to London over the weekend to finalise his move after a deal was agreed between the two clubs.

The Evening Standard claims that Arsenal will pay the Serie A outfit £17.5m up front with a further £3.5m due in add-ons, making the deal worth up to £21m in total.

Completed

Kiwior was spotted in the directors box watching Arsenal’s win over United on Sunday and the newspaper says he’s set to sign a long-term contract until 2027 with the option to extend by a further year.

The report suggests that the formalities of the deal will be completed on Monday and Fabrizio Romano says Kiwior has already ‘successfully completed’ his medical. The Italian journalist claims that the deal ‘is set to be announced’ and Kiwior will sign his contract later today.

Romano said on Twitter:

Jakub Kiwior will sign his contract later today – he will be unveiled as new Arsenal player until June 2028, deal set to be announced ⚪️🔴 #AFC

Medical tests have been successfully completed on Saturday.

Kiwior joined Spezia from Zillna in 2021 and quickly settled in Italy, establishing himself as one of the best young defenders in the league. He’s enjoyed an excellent season so far, leading to links with several clubs throughout Europe.

The 22-year-old has also become a regular with the senior Poland national team having presented his country at various youth levels, and started all four of their matches at the World Cup in Qatar.

Kiwior is a left-sided centre-back by trait but he can also play at left-back or as a defensive midfielder, so his versatility will be a useful asset for Arteta. He’ll mainly provide support for Gabriel but can also act as a deputy for Thomas Partey and Oleksandr Zinchenko.

The Polish international stands as 6ft 2in, and is known for his excellent passing skills on the ball so he perfectly fits the mould of player Arteta is looking for.